Former President Donald Trump declared on Saturday that voters will not “be that surprised” when he announces his choice for his running mate. The Republican frontrunner said he has not made his decision and does not consider it to be extremely important.
When asked by Fox News’ Bret Baier in New Hampshire, Trump said, “I may or may not really [decide] something over the next couple of months. There’s no rush to that. It won’t have any impact at all.”
The former president reiterated his belief that the selection of a vice president will not influence the race for the White House. Trump asserted “it’s never really had that much of an effect on an election.”
Former President Donald Trump said Saturday that people will not "be that surprised" by his choice for vice president, even as he said he had not yet made a decision and downplayed the importance of a running mate.
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The pending selection has not been addressed frequently by Trump, though his supporters have weighed in. Some are on record recommending a female running mate.
Earlier in January Trump said he was willing to consider any of his previous rivals who dropped out of the race. He even included former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who ran a campaign seemingly based only on his hatred of the former president.
In an Iowa town hall before the January caucuses, Trump claimed to like Christie “better,” though this may have been tongue-in-cheek.
There are suggestions of Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who he recently called a “great guy,” and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), but the 45th president remains coy.
South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem’s name also figures prominently in vice presidential speculation.
Trump strongly implied in recent days that former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, his only remaining major Republican rival, should not be updating her resume.
Her pointed criticisms of the former president and lack of conservative credentials make her an outlier at best. Trump’s praise of another South Carolina Republican, Sen. Scott, rapidly turned to noting that the state’s major leaders are firmly in the candidate’s camp.
Trump observed that he received Scott’s endorsement. “But if you look [at] the governor, great governor, another senator [Lindsey Graham]. We happen to like Lindsey. But, [Gov. Henry McMaster] knows it very well. He likes me.”
